Reverse snow-birds.

[WandaLust2]

Since we bought property here in FL and plan to move here in less than a year, we will be reverse-snowbirds. Come the summer heat and bugs here in FL, we will head north for the hottest months. I'm not sure where yet but the high 90s and low 100s doesn't appeal to us too much. what can you possibly do when it's so hot?

I hope there are places who cater to the reverse-snow birds out there with affordable rates.

Anyone else here a reverse-snowbird?

[Stormy_Eyes]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Don't know what your mileage restriction is but......

IMHO, JMHO.
THE FINEST place to stay in the Summer months is LAKE GENEVA, WI.

I reverse Snowbirded there for 4 years. Ahhh it was just great. Crisp clean smelling air and it is so beautifully green in spring and summer it hurts your eyes. And tons and tons of things to see and do! :C

The crisp clean smell of the air up North is what I miss the most.
Florida just doesn't have it.:(

Oh, that sounds so delightful. Can you recommend an RV park in or near Lake Geneva?

[tatest]

Since you have this "reverse" idea in your head, I am assuming you are talking about going north in a RV, since folks with homes at both ends of the trip don't call it reverse, it is just snowbirding. North in the summer, south in the winter, whether you do it RV or sticks and bricks, ownership or rental, migrating makes you a snowbird.

I know the Great Lakes area. Camping seasons range from beginning or end of May to just after Labor Day in some places, end of October at the latest. Memorial Day through Labor Day, most places you might want to go will be quite busy, if it is on the water, and most places will be on the water in Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan. Busy means expensive. To get away from that, you need to get beyond a full day's drive from major metro areas like SE Michigan, Chicago-Milwaukee, or Minneapolis-St Paul.

One of the nicest long-stay resorts is Petosky Motorcoach Resort near the tip of the Michigan Lower Peninsula. This one is an ownership resort, but owners rent out their lots seasonally as well. To find out what it costs, you have to call or pretend to book.

Closer to the busy summer resort area of Traverse City, the nicest place is probably Traverse Bay RV Resort. Lots here are currently selling for about $65,000, which is actually pretty cheap for a piece of land that size anywhere near Traverse City. A little more downscale, Holiday Park on Silver Lake (about 10 miles out of Traverse City) rents sites at $50 to $75 a night, the lower cost sites going for about $300 a week for longer stays. You will find similar rates in other parks/resorts in Benzie County (Frankfort, Benzonia) unless you want to be actually on the Lake Michigan shore, on Crystal Lake, or close to the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Prices should be lower in the NE part of the LP (from I-75 over to Lake Huron) but I can't vouch for any places because I always went to the NW part. Upper Peninsula will be a bit less expensive, if you get away from the extremely popular straits area (e.g. near St Ignace). Still, for decent parks with long term stays, and near cities (like Marquette, Houghton or Escanaba) you'll be looking at $40 a day or higher. Town and cities in the UP often have small public tourist parks in the $20-30 price range, but most of these have limited stays, often 14 days, sometimes less.

For Michigan, you don't want to be any further south than Houghton Lake, where the summer resort area starts, unless actually on the shore of one of the Great Lakes. The summer climate is still central plains, and temperatures can reach the high 80s regularly, into the 90s from time to time. Corresponding areas of Wisconsin are north of Green Bay (the Door Peninsula is really nice in summer, but just as popular and expensive as Traverse City). For Minnesota, up in the Thousand Lakes area north of Minneapolis.

One more thing to think about, June through August is severe weather season for the Great Lakes, with thunderstorms as warm and cold air masses push at each other, occasional tornadoes and more frequently straight wind speeds that will challenge RVs.

[capehank]

Come to the Thousands Islands in NY. There are many seasonal parks to choose from.

[arnko37]

We have a mobile home in Port Charlotte and a park model in Seneca IL. When we leave in May to head north we leave on the AC which is connected to a humidistat. It turns the AC on when the humidity goes up to a level which you preset. Put up the hurricane panels and go. Our place in Illinois is a resident owned campground for RVs and Park Models. Very reasonable assoc. fees, ours is about $800 per year but that INCLUDES electricity. 2 pools and quite a few retired people for social activities. Check out the website, Woodsmoke Ranch Seneca IL.

[silversand]

...here's a view at low tide from our campsite, Wolfe's Neck, Maine, September:

Morning:



Afternoon (4 lighthouses are visible at night, as a bonus):



Here's a view from our camper on the OBX (Outer Banks, NC), mid June:

Oceanside:



Pamlico Sound-side, looking out the window of our camper:



Nothing like ocean-front :B

....anyone for a ...night in Rodanthe... ?

[soren]

If you are serious about Maine, you can find some amazing bargains if you hunt around. For the last few years we stopped to see friends who were mid-coast, a few miles from the water. They stay at a small, yet nice CG that doesn't even have a website, or anybody in the office, most days. They paid $2K for the six month season. I'm sure there are many other opportunities like this in the mid-Atlantic and New England states.

[GoPackGo]

To the OP -

It sounds like you will be in the Ocala area. I lived near Orlando for almost 20 years. Here is my .02 opinion:

In Orlando, I was always running my AC permanently NLT Easter. It would not be shut off till sometime in November. The humidity is always high in Florida, even during winter. From about 1 May till about November it was always over 90 degrees. The low will be 70-75. It can still be above 85 at midnight. It takes all night to get down to the low of 70-75 and then it starts going right back up again. The temperatures are pretty constant from day to day. I never experienced 100 degree temps and I would not expect that to happen. Just pretty much 93-97 for daily highs for about 6 months or so.

For some reason the Ocala area always seemed to be a little bit cooler (colder) then Orlando, especially during the winter months.

If you are heat sensitive, you will need to be very careful, especially when getting into a car that has been sitting outside in the sun. Even with running AC at the highest setting, it takes a while to cool down the inside. The AC needs to drop the temp of all that metal, plastic, and glass in addition to just cooling the air. I would not even turn on car AC for short trips - just rolled down the windows.

I always said that living in Florida is the exact reverse of living in the snow zone. Summer is the inside time in Florida. Winter is when many people like to go outside.

If you want to get away from the heat during the summer, I would suggest trying the states around the Great Lakes - Wisc, Mich, upper New York, also northern Minnesota. The Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Trail areas will be a little cooler compared to Florida, but it won't be too cheap.

[GoPackGo]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Don't know what your mileage restriction is but......

IMHO, JMHO.
THE FINEST place to stay in the Summer months is LAKE GENEVA, WI.

I reverse Snowbirded there for 4 years. Ahhh it was just great. Crisp clean smelling air and it is so beautifully green in spring and summer it hurts your eyes. And tons and tons of things to see and do! :C

The crisp clean smell of the air up North is what I miss the most.
Florida just doesn't have it.:(

Man Oh Man did you nail it. Lake Geneva is the best.

I am an Iowa native, lived in Florida for 20 years and now am full timing. I always loved going up into Wisconsin for vacations during the summers. I've spent this winter in Ft Myers. But I will be pulling up the anchor and heading for Wisconsin, via Arkansas and Missouri. Will also get into Minnesota and will eventually cross over into the UP of Michigan and come south along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Can't wait. The Loons, Northern Lights, all those lakes.

You're right, the air actually tastes good up there.

[Ivylog]

Having grown up in south Fla before the days of AC, your body will adapt to some degree. Your best summer option will be in the mountains of GA and NC. Even in the GA mountains it gets below 65 most nights in the summer and except for a couple weeks rarely above 90... usually in the low 80s for a few hours mid day. Elevation will be your friend.

[rocmoc]

Happy Prospector wrote:
You should come to Arizona in the summer. Sure it is a tad bit warm, but remember it is a dry heat.


The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.

In Arizona and most of the West elevation is everything. Every Western State has locations over 5,000-6,000 feet. As you climb higher the air gets cooler. Plus the West has tons of locations where you can boondock. Yes you can find many cooler campsites in the summer.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[rockhillmanor]

Don't know what your mileage restriction is but......

IMHO, JMHO.
THE FINEST place to stay in the Summer months is LAKE GENEVA, WI.

I reverse Snowbirded there for 4 years. Ahhh it was just great. Crisp clean smelling air and it is so beautifully green in spring and summer it hurts your eyes. And tons and tons of things to see and do! :C

The crisp clean smell of the air up North is what I miss the most.
Florida just doesn't have it.:(

[Happy_Prospecto]

You should come to Arizona in the summer. Sure it is a tad bit warm, but remember it is a dry heat.


The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.

[silversand]

NC Writer wrote:
Those areas are not low in cost, though. Maine campgrounds are pricey on the coast.

...$700 a month range on the Maine coast full hook-ups for "season" (May 15-October 15), view of the ocean from several sites. Huge lots; launch kayaks from the campground. Ocean-front lots are cheaper, but the ocean-fronts are water only (ie. you need to be self-sufficient, with solar or generator). Waterfront (ocean-side) lots are huge.

...or, summer on the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. Several seasonal rates campgrounds there --we camp here on skip years (ie. every 2 years in early fall)...

[mgirardo]

WandaLust2 wrote:
Are there things to do there? A lake? A nice town to spend time in with a few decent restaurants? What is the daily temp there?

There is a beach on the lake with slides, diving boards, rope swing, paddle boat and kayak rentals. We bring our porta bote and fish in the lake. Surprisingly good fishing, catch and release. They also have a large pool with kiddie play area.

It's in southern NJ, about 20 minutes from Philly, an hour to Atlantic City/Ocean City and 75 minutes to Wildwood and 90 minutes to Cape May and Baltimore, MD. There are a few restaurants in town, better restaurants within a 30 minute drive. Did I mention the farm next door? They offer pick your own strawberries and apples. We can walk from our camper to the strawberry patches and apple orchards. They have a farm market with a good bakery and deli.

WandaLust2 wrote:

Actually that is not bad if there are full-hookups and you have children. Many CGs charge more for over 2 people per RV.

Full Hookups, no cable (about 40 OTA channels), too many trees for Dish. Where we are we get pretty good free wi-fi. Seasonal stays have electric on meter. The rate for 2 is $3,500. For our rate, we get 6 registered campers. We are a family of 4 and we register 2 other extended family members. No pets. Daily visitor rate is $10, overnight gets are $15/night.

WandaLust2 wrote:
NJ would not be much cooler than Ocala in summer from what I understand. Perhaps we should look for elevation - the mountains.

You can't really compare summer in NJ to summer in Florida. The big difference between NJ and FL is that you don't get months on end of 90+ degree weather, usually not even weeks on end. Three days in a row above 90 is considered a heat wave. This past summer I think we had only 1 heat wave. Mostly in the mid-80s. It was pretty chilly the first week or two in May. Had to run the furnace a few nights the end of September. Mountains in the NE would definitely be cooler.

Most of the campers are locals, however there are at least a dozen or so retired folk from the area that now live in Florida and summer at the campground.

-Michael